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Pravin Amre wanted Robin Uthappa to bat for at least 18 overs against Royal Challengers Bangalore as the coach was sure the batsman would overtake Glenn Maxwell as the leading run-maker this IPL season

Nagraj Gollapudi22-May-2014On Wednesday afternoon, Pravin Amre, the former India batsman, set Robin Uthappa a challenge. Amre asked Uthappa to bat a minimum of 18 overs in Kolkata Knight Riders’ home match against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Uthappa went one step further by playing out the entire 20 overs and finishing with his highest score in the IPL – an unbeaten 83, which proved to be the match-winning innings.”I asked him to play till the end of the 18th over. He gave me the bonus by staying till the end of the innings,” Amre, Uthappa’s personal coach, told ESPNcricinfo. “My motive for asking him that was because I was sure he would go past Glenn Maxwell as the highest run-maker in the tournament. That would give him more satisfaction.”This was Uthappa’s fifth half-century this season and helped him snatch the orange cap from Maxwell. Uthappa now has 572 runs from 13 innings at an average of 47.66 and a strike-rate of 137.50. An ecstatic Uthappa went on to initially apologise to his coach and his team for not being able to convert his starts in earlier matches before dedicating the orange cap to Amre.”A student like him is a coach’s delight. You feel great when your work is recognised by your student. That satisfaction is different,” Amre said. Amre, who was recently brought back for his second stint as Mumbai coach, followed the match on TV at his home in the city and the pride and emotion of the moment was evident in his comments.Amre said this knock was his favourite. “He was getting the starts but the major challenge was to play all the 20 overs. To stay and play the 120th delivery is the biggest challenge in that format because you have to maintain a particular run-rate. Every pitch is different, every attack is different and to still perform in so many back-to-back matches was really nice to see.”The icing on the cake for Amre was delivered by Uthappa when he punched an immaculate, lofted straight drive against Mitchell Starc for a four. “The way he hit that last ball with a pure cricketing shot. He anticipated that last ball really well and did not go for a big six. He has been consistently hitting boundaries without going for the big strokes. The whole purpose of us coming along was to make sure he would play the right strokes.”Amre said he had emphasised on playing with the full face of the bat. In the past, Uthappa’s bat-face would close as he went for his strokes, thereby mistiming or making costly errors. “Today the other stroke I enjoyed watching was when he hit the spinner (Yuzvendra Chahal) for a six with a straight elbow and the full face of the bat. Earlier, he used to hit over midwicket effortlessly. But he has become better at timing and playing technically correct shots.”Uthappa appointed Amre as his personal coach in 2012. The pair worked diligently in this two-year period, with Uthappa travelling constantly to Mumbai where Amre conducted extensive drills. The success of the partnership became evident when Uthappa played a crucial role in Karnataka finishing with a historic treble in the domestic season.The most important point Amre has hammered constantly into Uthappa’s mind has been to keep it simple, even in T20. “I firmly believe your basics have to be correct for any format but more for T20. You can then survive and also be a match-winner. Normally in T20 players try to play extraordinary cricket. But for talented players like Robin if they stick to play normal cricketing strokes they will end up with an extraordinary performance.”Amre had watched Uthappa fail as a middle-order batsman in four of his first five innings this season during the initial phase in the UAE. But once Uthappa asked the team management and got back to his favourite opening position, he became highly consistent. In eight successive innings at the top of the order, Uthappa’s lowest score has been 40. “He has created opportunities as an opener and made use of the opportunity of being an opener,” Amre said.Uthappa’s performances have led Knight Riders into the playoffs after their early wobbles in the UAE. According to Amre, Uthappa has crossed the first barrier. His next hurdle would be to take forward the momentum into the playoffs. “The knockout (stage) is a different tournament and that is why he has to keep calm. His contributions will again become important for his team so it is time for him to forget about the league stage and start from scratch.”

England and New Zealand begin a three-match series at Lord’s on Friday as they aim to fine tune ahead of the Champions Trophy

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan30-May-2013Match FactsMay 31, 2013
Start time 10.45am (0945 GMT)England’s one-day management team chat during training at Lord’s•Getty ImagesThe Big PictureThere is a Trophy to warm-up for and a trophy to win for England and New Zealand. While the other nations in the Champions Trophy prepare with ODIs against Associate nations or among themselves, these two sides have a fully-fledged one-day series to get them into gear for the next three weeks.There won’t be much they don’t know about each other; this head-to-head began in early February and will not conclude until the end of next month with a couple of Twenty20s. They also, and potentially crucially, face each other in the group stage of the Champions Trophy so there is much to gain from these next three matches.England emerged with the honours in New Zealand earlier this year despite losing the opening match in Hamilton. Ultimately, the pace bowling of James Anderson, Steven Finn and Stuart Broad proved too much for Brendon McCullum’s side, although not without the captain trying his damndest to keep his team afloat. The series continued England’s impressive run in one-day cricket; they’ve only lost two series – in India – since the 2011 World Cup.At home, England have not been beaten in a series since losing 6-1 to Australia in 2009, and so will enter these three matches as favourites – a tag some are also giving them for the Champions Trophy. They have a settled side, although Kevin Pietersen is missing from their strongest set-up, and the only major debate revolves around the No. 7 spot.New Zealand’s lowly ranking of No. 8 reflects a poor run in one-day cricket since they reached the World Cup semi-final in 2011. There were signs of a revival with a notable victory against South Africa in their backyard, but the defeat to England at home was a setback. The batting order, which struggled in the Test series, retains many of the same faces and they will again be severely tested.Form guide (Most recent first)
England WWLWL
New Zealand LLWLWWatch out for…England’s merry-go-round of the one-day wicketkeeper has stopped with Jos Buttler holding on to the role. He is part of what should be a dynamic middle order with the aim that they will be able to take advantage of platforms laid by a more traditional top three than used by some teams. Buttler’s strokeplay can be breathtaking – and at times unbelievable – although he has yet to be tested over an extended innings at this level. His wicketkeeping is improving, but the challenge will come standing up to Graeme Swann and perhaps Ravi Bopara.New Zealand are not short of lively fast-medium seamers of the left-arm variety. Mitchell McClenaghan has been sidelined since early in the England one-day series in New Zealand after some stirring performances against South Africa. Taller than the injured Trent Boult, he is a hit-the-deck bowler although he does have the ability to find swing. The white ball, in England, should be to his liking. Alastair Cook will need to watch out.Team newsIn the absence of Pietersen, Joe Root will continue in the middle order although it’s difficult to believe he would have been forced aside even if Pietersen had been available. There may be a degree of flexibility about England’s four, five and six depending on the state of the innings. The allrounder at No. 7 remains a question mark; Tim Bresnan would be the strongest bowling option although his wife will have a say in team selection when she gives birth. Jade Dernbach has been added as cover, but it would make sense to give other Champions Trophy squad members a game if Bresnan was unavailable.England (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Ian Bell, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Joe Root, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Tim Bresnan, 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Steven FinnThere will be a bit of shuffling in New Zeland’s order and some fresh faces. Luke Ronchi will make his (second) ODI debut – having already played for Australia – as an opening batsman and wicketkeeper. Daniel Vettori and Kyle Mills add a wealth of experience to the line-up.New Zealand (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Luke Ronchi, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Grant Elliott, 6 Brendon McCullum (capt)*, 7 Nathan McCullum, 8 Daniel Vettori, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Mitchell McClenaghanPitch and conditionsLord’s ODI pitches are generally good for batting although the recent poor weather may mean some early life for the pace bowlers. During the recent Test, the outfield was on the slow side, which reduced the value for shots. The forecast for the day is fine.Stats and trivia The previous series between these two teams in England was a feisty affair with New Zealand emerging 3-1, a result mostly remembered for heated scenes at The Oval when Paul Collingwood controversially ran out Grant Elliott. This is only the second bilateral one-day series between the teams in England since 1994. In 1999 there was the World Cup and in 2004 a triangular series with West Indies. Stuart Broad’s current strike-rate of 32.20 places him eighth among bowlers with more than 150 ODI wicketsQuotes”We’ve got three games here in this very important series, then the Champions Trophy and we want to win as many of those games as possible. Winning breeds confidence and any time you have recent success over an opposition you take confidence.”
“From a bowling perspective, I feel fine. That’s the main thing they want out of me. It’s got to the point now of getting the body right, I hope, without making too many predictions on the future.”
* May 31 8.00am GMT Ross Taylor had incorrectly been mentioned as New Zealand captain. This has been corrected.

MS Dhoni praised the efforts of his team in the field after India comfortably won the opening Twenty20 in Pune by five wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2012MS Dhoni praised the efforts of his team in the field after India comfortably won the opening Twenty20 in Pune by five wickets. England began well with the bat, through Alex Hales and Luke Wright, before Yuvraj Singh took three wickets to knock the stuffing out of the innings.India’s fielding, which was often shoddy during the Test series, also improved considerably with Ajinkya Rahane claiming three out-field catches and Virat Kohli taking a superb, low, effort at long-on. With Suresh Raina also back in the team there was a far more athletic appearance to India and Dhoni did not have to shield so many slower movers.The turning point of the match came in the 13th over when Yuvraj, who had already removed Wright, bowled Hales for 56 off 35 balls and two deliveries later had Eoin Morgan, the England captain and leading Twenty20 batsman, caught at long-on. Yuvraj later added 38 off 21 balls which included picking off Danny Briggs’ only over for 18.”Yuvraj was brilliant. He bowled really well and at the right pace,” Dhoni said. “I felt each and every bowler, apart from Yuvraj, bowled at least one bad over in the game. But I’m overall very happy with the performance.””And the fielding, which I wanted the team to do well. I thought we did brilliantly.”The pressure was on the bowlers,” he added. “The way Hales started – he went after the bowlers – that was the difficult part. We all know it’s a bit easier to score against the new ball on the sub-continent, particularly in India. It was important from the eighth over that we tried to bring the team back into the game.”Morgan was left frustrated by the way England’s batted faded from the position of 89 for 1 in the 11th over. They were also below their best with the ball where they conceded 10 wides after Jade Dernbach set the tone with three in his first over.”We got off to a great start. Alex Hales played tremendously well along with Luke Wright but in that middle period we failed to kick on and score. That positivity wasn’t there in our batting and we lacked about 15 or 20.”We never seemed to get going again. We continually lost wickets, which is a shame because because the start we had, we were on for a good score. We always thought we were in the game. We lacked a small bit of discipline in our bowling but we were always up against it with that score on the board.”

After the shock of James Taylor’s retirement, it was an impressive show of character fro Nottinghamshire to close out victory

George Dobell at Trent Bridge13-Apr-2016
ScorecardJake Ball completed a five-wicket haul•Getty ImagesSpike Milligan used to tell a story about a time when he was suffering from a bout of depression. Lying in bed and crying uncontrollably, he was brought a glass of water by his young daughter. She knew it wouldn’t help, but she wanted to try and couldn’t think of anything else to offer.Perhaps this Nottinghamshire victory might be viewed in the same light. A club reeling from the news that James Taylor’s career is not only over, but that he must undergo heart surgery in the next couple of days knows that, in the grand scheme of things, the result of a game of cricket does not amount to much. But they wanted to do what they could for him and have nothing else to give besides good wishes and encouraging performances You can be quite sure this result raised a smile from Taylor.It was, in the end, a victory that owed much to the fortitude and character of a team struggling to come to terms with the sad news they had received. Facing a target of 169 on a pitch that remained encouraging for seamers, they slipped form 72 without loss to 100 for 5 before rallying.Jake Ball, a much improved seamer who will surely be pushing for England recognition in the coming months, completed the second five-wicket haul of his first-class career in the morning and hit the winning runs in the evening, while Greg Smith, a former team-mate of Taylor at Leicestershire as well as Nottinghamshire, registered his highest score for the club in first-class cricket.”As soon as we found out about James we said we’ve got to win him a trophy,” Ball said afterwards. “He’s an exceptional talent and it’s sad that it’s all been taken away from him.”He’s been a massive part of this club for a few years. What we can do is put wins on the board and trophies in the cabinet for him.”Ball must have thought his work was over when he helped polish off the Surrey innings in the morning session. While Sam Curran – surely a fine batsman in the making – contributed five sweetly-struck boundaries, he was trapped in front by one that nipped back and Arun Harinath’s admirable resistance was ended when he was lured into reaching for a drive and edged to the cordon. He had batted on every day of the match and didn’t deserve to be on the losing side.The Nottinghamshire chase began smoothly. Mullaney, who looks in glorious form, and the more careful Smith reached 72 in 14 overs. But when Mullaney was trapped in front, the next four batsman added just eight between them.Tom Curran, finding life and movement from a good length, claimed three wickets in seven balls without conceding a run at one stage as Michael Lumb edged one angled across him, Brendan Taylor was taken on the glove by a brute of a ball and Riki Wessels edged one that bounced and left him. It was, by any standards, outstanding bowling.Smith, however, stood firm. So grim had his red-ball form been – this was his first score above 20 in 13 Championship innings and his first half-century in 24 first-class innings dating back to September 2014 – that one national newspaper left him out of their fantasy league options at the start of the season.But he has worked hard with Peter Moores – the consultant coach at Nottinghamshire – in recent months and demonstrated a sound defence and calm head in a crisis. It took a peach of a delivery, bouncing and nipping away from a good length, to find his edge.By then, Nottinghamshire were still 17 short and left with a tail that were blown away in the first innings. But Brett Hutton produced two sumptuous on drives and Ball kept his head to see their side over the line. Nottinghamshire took 24 points and Surrey just four.There was encouragement here for Surrey, though. They left themselves too much ground to make up after a poor start to the game with bat and ball but showed spirit and skill in clawing their way back into it.They also showed – if we did not know before – that they have at least two outstanding young cricketers in Ben Foakes and Tom Curran. To out-keep Chris Read, as Foakes did in this match, is a rare achievement, while Tom Curran produced a series of beautiful deliveries to precipitate a Nottinghamshire collapse.This was a mixed debut for Ravi Rampaul, though. After three years out of the first-class game, he was understandably rusty and looked as if he were carrying a few more pounds – or even stone – than can be ideal for a professional sportsman. Ravi Ample one wag called him; Ravi Rampall-you-can-eat another retorted.He retains enviable skills, though. While some of his wickets may have owed a little to fortune – Samit Patel, slashing without foot movement, edged a long-hop to slip and Read and Steven Mullaney may have felt the balls that trapped them leg before were passing down the leg side – he can move the ball both ways. The donation of 26 in no-balls though (Ravi no-ball was another nickname) was costly in such a tight game. He will, no doubt, improve for the experience.Surrey were also hampered by the decision not to bowl Sam Curran. They were, perhaps, keen not to over-burden a young man in such a tight situation, though he has given every indication to date of relishing the heat of the battle.”We made it very difficult for ourselves over the first four or five sessions of the game,” Gareth Batty admitted. “You can’t get that far behind against a very good team and Notts are a proven team. We gave ourselves too big a hill to climb but it was a pretty good effort to try and turn it around.”There is no lack of talent in his Surrey team. Their Championship season may well be defined by how quickly they can adapt to the greater discipline required in the top division. The pace at which they improved in this game may, despite the result, offer cause for optimism.

He has looked to be aggressive whenever he has got in, Sachin Tendulkar has said

ESPNcricinfo staff08-May-2013As Mumbai Indians dealt Kolkata Knight Riders’ chances of defending their IPL title an almost fatal blow on Tuesday, beating them by a whopping 65 runs, Sachin Tendulkar served up his most impactful showing of the season till now. Even as his opening partner Dwayne Smith struggled to score at a run-a-ball, Tendulkar knocked off 48 off 28 at a strike rate of 171.42 to help set his team on their way to 170.Till the Knight Riders game, Tendulkar had been striking it at a rather sedate rate (after the game, his season’s strike rate stands at 125.13). However, he has looked to be aggressive whenever he has got in, Tendulkar said. “If you look at the whole season, whenever I’ve batted, I’ve not been able to spend much time in the middle. But whenever I’ve batted, I think it has been pretty aggressively,” he said after the match. “Every day you can’t go out and find the middle of the bat. This [Wankhede pitch] is the kind of surface where there’s a bit of help too upfront for the seamers, and so when you’re striking the ball well, you should be aggressive and make the most of it.”Today was one of those days when I was striking the ball well and I thought that if I’m striking the ball well, I should be the one who is more aggressive.”He has been enjoying his time in the IPL, Tendulkar said, and “sharing” with his Mumbai Indians team-mates. “I’m enjoying, I’m in love with this game. The passion for the game is very much there, so whatever time I get on the field I make the most of it.”It’s all about give and take [with team-mates]. It’s not about just being one-way traffic, where I just keep saying things and I don’t absorb anything from them. I’ve learnt a lot from many guys in the team and it’s about discussing cricket. The more you discuss the better you get, the more you know. It’s all about sharing.”Dinesh Karthik, meanwhile, continued his prime form for Mumbai Indians, stringing together 34 not out off 18 in the victory. He and the team have been benefitting a lot from Ricky Ponting’s presence, Karthik said. “The other day I had a doubt and I walked up to Ricky. All he said was that if you see the ball and think you can hit it, you hit it,” Karthik told the IPL site. “That, I thought was a very positive input and the one I really liked.”He is the biggest thing to have happened to Mumbai Indians. He has this aura about him and he brings in a lot of positive energy into the team. Some of the things that he says in team meetings and some of the points he brings to the fore are really hair-raising. He is the key reason for us to be so positive and motivated.”

Shane Jurgensen has been appointed the new coach of Fiji, weeks after he resigned as Bangladesh’s head coach

Mohammad Isam14-May-2014Shane Jurgensen has been appointed the new coach of Fiji, weeks after he resigned as Bangladesh’s head coach. He will be in charge of the country’s senior men’s, women’s and age-group teams for the next three years.His first assignment will be a tour of India in October, followed by the ICC East-Asia Pacific World Cricket League qualifiers. Fiji is currently in the WCL’s Division 7, after finishing fourth in last year’s tournament in Botswana.”I have been appointed the Fiji national coach for the next three years,” Jurgensen told ESPNcricinfo. “It will be a busy role with a heavy amount of coaching looking after the senior men’s, women’s and under 19-squads.”The job is based in Suva and the first assignment will be to prepare the men’s squad for an India tour and the WCL qualification tournament in October and November, from which there is a chance to go into Division 6, and be among the top six teams to qualify to the World T20’s qualifying tournament.”According to the Cricket Fiji website, Jurgensen’s appointment was approved after the country’s sporting regulatory body confirmed funding to develop lesser-known sports.Jurgensen’s appointment is a major triumph for Fiji, given his experience as New Zealand’s bowling coach and Bangladesh’s head coach. Cricket Fiji’s general manager Inoke Lesuma said the appointment was unprecedented.”It [is] truly remarkable that we have someone of Shane’s calibre coming to work with us here in Fiji,” said Lesuma. “To gain someone on our team, who has come from a Test-playing nation to a country that is not currently a part of the World Cricket League is just unheard of.”Jurgensen said that going back to the roots of being a coach attracted him to this position and he was looking forward to aiding the country’s cricket in its progress.”The amount of coaching involved is the exciting part in Fiji and it will take me back to the reason why I love coaching: to help develop and support passionate cricketers,” Jurgensen said. “In my limited dealings so far I have been extremely impressed with their energy, enthusiasm and professionalism and it highlights Fiji’s strong desire to take their cricket to another level. I hope to bring my international experience, coaching methods and plan to help Fijian players and teams and to give them every opportunity for long-term success.”

Michael Clarke, the Australia captain, has been fined 20% of his match fee for his sledge against James Anderson during the dying stages of Australia’s win in the first Ashes Test in Brisbane

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-2013Michael Clarke, the Australia captain, has been fined 20% of his match fee for his sledge against James Anderson during the dying stages of Australia’s win in the first Ashes Test in Brisbane.The ICC charged Clarke with a breach of its Code of Conduct over comments he made while Anderson was batting late on Sunday. The stump microphone picked up Clarke telling Anderson he should “get ready for a broken f***ing arm”, which led to umpire Kumar Dharmasena and third official Marais Erasmus bringing a charge under section 2.1.4 of the code, which deals with “language or a gesture that is obscene, offensive or insulting”.Clarke admitted the offence on Monday morning and accepted the fine proposed by match referee Jeff Crowe, which meant a formal hearing was not required. Clarke was charged with a level one offence, which carries the penalty of a warning/reprimand and/or a fine of up to 50% of the player’s match fee.In a statement, the ICC said that Clarke had “made inappropriate gestures and directed an obscenity towards England’s James Anderson, which was picked up by the stump microphone”. After the Test, Clarke said he had heard plenty worse on the cricket field than anything that was said at the Gabba.”Through my career, there has always been banter on the cricket field – and I cop as much as I give, that’s for sure,” he said on Sunday evening. “That’s part and parcel of the game … but all the England players know we certainly respect them, and we understand we have to be at our best to beat them. I’ve heard a lot worse said on a cricket field than what the Australia players or the England players said throughout this Test match.”

Gary Ballance enhanced his international credentials with a stylish century against the Australians on a rain-affected first day in Northampton, where Nathan Lyon was the pick of a weakened attack.

Brydon Coverdale at Wantage Road16-Aug-2013
ScorecardGary Ballance was in good touch and made a third century in five innings•Getty ImagesGary Ballance enhanced his international credentials with a stylish century against the Australians on a rain-affected first day in Northampton, where Nathan Lyon was the pick of a weakened attack.Lyon enjoyed working against an England Lions order stacked with left-handers and collected 3 for 80, but he was unable to curb the influence of Ballance, who was out late in the day for 104.The first session was lost to drizzle but a clear and sunny afternoon meant that 77 overs were still possible and Ballance used them to show that Yorkshire’s production line of young batsmen extends beyond Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow. Ballance had scored two centuries already this month, 112 against Warwickshire in the County Championship and 139 against Unicorns in the Yorkshire Bank 40, and here he looked the most accomplished of the England Lions batsmen.Whereas the rest of the left-handers struggled against the away spin of Lyon, Ballance was less inclined to drive early and worked his way into form while waiting for the bad balls. He was strong when driving off the back foot – one such punch to the boundary brought up his half-century off Mitchell Starc – and drove down the ground against Ashton Agar, raising his hundred with his only six, a slog over midwicket from Steven Smith from his 153rd delivery.But next ball Ballance fell in a not dissimilar style to Chris Rogers in the Lord’s Test, missing a Smith full toss that the umpire adjudged would have gone on and hit the stumps. It was the second wicket Smith claimed with a rank full toss, after Jos Buttler on 7 sent one down the throat of Lyon at deep midwicket. Smith finished with 2 for 8 from two overs but his figures were far more attractive than his bowling, which was only used late in the day.The presence of Starc and James Faulkner as the only seamers in Australia’s attack meant that spin was the main order of the day and Lyon was used the most. After David Warner was brought on as first change, sending down some ordinary slow-medium seam-up offerings, the stand-in captain Shane Watson turned to Lyon and he was immediately effective, finding an edge from Alex Lees that was put down by Watson at first slip.Lees was on 16 at the time but the miss wasn’t too costly; on 33 he again edged Lyon and this one was taken by Watson, the first of three catches at slip that he claimed off Lyon’s bowling. Lyon, who drifted the ball in from around the wicket and extracted some turn and bounce, was also unlucky not to have Moeen Ali caught at point on 15 when an edgy drive appeared to fall just short of Warner.Lyon picked up his second wicket when Eoin Morgan launched a loose drive outside off and edged to Watson on 5, but that brought together Moeen and Ballance, who added 70 for the fourth wicket. Moeen looked nervous early against the ball turning away but was happier when Ashton Agar came on, lofting him over long-on for six before boosting his confidence further with a classy sweep for six off Lyon.Moeen brought up his half-century with a flick through the leg side off Agar, who struggled to find the right line, bowling to a leg-side heavy field against the left-handers, and did little to enhance his chances of a return for the fifth Test at The Oval. In the end it was pace that accounted for Moeen, who on 61 edged Starc to second slip just after tea, providing the second wicket for the seamers after opener Luke Wells had earlier prodded tamely and edged Faulkner behind for 10.Moeen’s departure brought Ben Stokes to the crease to join Ballance and Stokes played a couple of impressive strokes, including a back-foot drive for four off Faulkner, but he did not give himself a chance of going on when Lyon returned to the attack. The first ball that Stokes faced from Lyon he tried an expansive drive through the off side and edged to Watson at first slip for 19.Lyon finished with three wickets and had a couple of other close calls, including when a diving Smith at midwicket couldn’t grasp a very tough chance off Buttler. On a greenish-tinged pitch that offered a little sideways movement but not much pace, Starc and Faulkner provided few seriously challenging deliveries to the England Lions’ batsmen, which might encourage the Australian batting order ahead of the second day’s play.

Bayern Munich are reportedly considering potential options to replace Thomas Tuchel and are thinking about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Zinedine Zidane.

Bayern on three-game losing streakThomas Tuchel under pressureClub considering potential replacementsGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Tuchel has come under pressure at Bayern after a series of poor results that have left the team eight points behind Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the table. Tuchel will remain in charge for now, but the Bavarian giants are looking at potential replacements, according to Sky Germany. Solskjaer has emerged as a potential candidate on an interim basis should Tuchel not see out the season. Zidane is another manager the club are said to be thinking about currently.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Tuchel has opted to give his players some time off ahead of some key fixtures in a bid to freshen things up after defeats to Leverkusen, Lazio and Bochum which have damaged their hopes of securing silverware this season. Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen has said the club will not sack Tuchel in the wake of their shock defeat to Bochum but has stopped short of offering the coach the club's full support.

GettyImageDID YOU KNOW?

Zidane won 11 trophies as manager of Real Madrid, including three Champions League titles.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN

Bayern take on RB Leipzig next and anything other than a win will pile more pressure on Tuchel. The Bavarians then face SC Freiburg before hosting Lazio in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie. Tuchel's side trail 1-0 from the first leg in Italy.

Wrexham's Tom O'Connor admits that his club's high profile means opponents are often extra motivated, but insists his side are up for the challenge.

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Wrexham beaten in feisty Accrington encounterO'Connor admits Dragons are a prized winUrges team to rise to challengeGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Wrexham went down to a testy 2-0 defeat at Accrington Stanley last weekend. Accrington's wild celebrations at the final whistle and the tense exchanges between the clubs before and after the game gave a glimpse that not everyone in football is delighted by Wrexham's Hollywood-powered revival. But according to O'Connor, that is nothing new.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT O'CONNOR SAID

"There are no easy games in League Two, everyone is going out there to win," the Irishman told Wrexham's newspaper. "But I think everyone is looking to take a scalp when they come up against Wrexham as well. Wrexham have been a scalp as long as I have been here. Partly because of the documentary and the fanbase as well, it is a big game for whoever is playing us and they are looking to turn us over but we are used to that. We just have to rise up to it and enjoy it, and I think we have done that for the majority."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

While some lower league fans are happy with the glamour and profile that owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds have brought, others are less enthused and arguments about ticket prices and streaming rights have bubbled below the surface. Whether loved or loathed, Wrexham are undoubtedly one of the first names opponents look out for when fixtures are announced at the start of the season.

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WHAT NEXT FOR O'CONNOR AND WREXHAM?

Wrexham's defeat at the Wham Stadium last week snapped a three-game winning streak and saw the Dragons drop to fourth. O'Connor and company will be hoping to get back to winning ways and climb back into the three automatic promotion spots with a win against Morecambe on Saturday.